Austin Reaves said execution mattered more than style after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors 105-99 on Saturday night at crypto.com Arena, extending their winning streak to three games. The guard scored 16 points with eight assists as Los Angeles improved to 32-19 despite injuries to Luka Doncic and Deandre Ayton.
“It wasn’t pretty, but at the end of the day, wins all that matters,” Reaves said. “I wouldn’t say we played good, but played good enough.”
Golden State entered short-handed without Stephen Curry, yet Reaves described the defensive challenge as constant because of movement and spacing. “Just the way they move, cut, pin down, shoot a lot of threes, there’s long rebounds, they crash basically four guys every possession,” he said.
The Lakers relied on communication-heavy zone looks to slow the Warriors, who finished 14 of 51 from three-point range. “Zone’s been good,” Reaves said. “We’ve, like you said, communicated at a high level, and that’s what it takes to play a good zone.”
Reaves added that early communication sets the tone for the rest of the game. “I think whatever you especially if you have success early with anything in the communication department, you know, it continues to flow well,” he said.
The fourth quarter turned when Luke Kennard hit a corner three and later found Jarred Vanderbilt for a dunk during an 11-0 run, and Reaves praised the new teammate’s instincts. “Yeah, I mean, he’s a basketball player,” he said. “It’s not going to take him long to figure out… the best way he can help this team be successful.”
Kennard finished with 10 points in his debut after arriving from Atlanta earlier in the week. “When it comes down to basketball, he knows how to play the game of basketball, so it should be pretty simple,” Reaves said.
Reaves also reacted to learning about Kennard passing LeBron James on an Ohio scoring list earlier in their careers. “No. He didn’t know. Ohio high school basketball. That’s crazy,” he said. “That’s a lot of buckets. So, he could shoot. He shoot it. So, that’s impressive.”
Asked about potentially shifting roles, the Lakers guard stressed team priorities over individual minutes. “I do whatever coach tells me to do,” Reaves said.
Los Angeles leaned on balance to secure the win, with LeBron James recording 20 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds while Rui Hachimura added 18 and Marcus Smart scored 15. The Warriors were led by Moses Moody’s 25 points as the visitors dropped four of their last six games.
The Lakers now prepare to host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, aiming to continue climbing the Western Conference standings behind improved communication and late-game defense.
